Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-07-21
A singular freak of lightning occurred at


Houcksyllle during storm one day last
week. The lightning struck a shock Of wheat
on Judge Algirc's farm, consisting Of
twelve sheaves. Two sheayes were thrown
aside and the remaining ten burned. The
electric fluid made four large holes in the
ground where the shock stood, and two holes
at other shocks in the vicinity. Judge Al
gire was several hundred feet away, but was
pcrceptibly affected and did not recover I'M
til the next day.-Carro1 Democrat.
Without going into details, which, by the
way, we would not be privileged to do if
we desired, we may assume to say that at
this very date Mechanicstown is, without
her knowledge entering upon crisis, so to
speak that is to say more definitely and
yet not explicitly, there is that possible, we
viii not say probable and assursdlv not GER
tain (Which is putting it as uutavorably as
we dare that will advance it from the un-
prctentious conditions Of a mountain village
to those of Importance and rcputc
May a benevolent control seize upon the
reins of coming events, and Fortuna .Secun
d1, may all that is sin the wood" be not on,
ly cut out in the pattern, bat be "cast in the
mould"
TIE Broom DRILI.--1t would he an m
parlonable omission were We to fail to men
ton that charming little entertainment given
several times during the fair, the broom drill.
Lieut.. Landers took in hand seven young
ladies, Misses Matte Black, Clera Valentine,
Carrie Boblitz, Flora Stocksdalc, Carrie
Slick, Bird Mcclellan and Fannie Landers,
the latter of whom is Captain, and drilled
them in the Manual of Arms, brooms being
substituted for guns, dust pans for cartridge
boxes and dust caps for helmets. In grace
full attitudes and precision they were Won
derfully entertaining and proficient and
their evolutions departed sufficiently from
military drill to work in the idea Of the ser
ylceable broom. 1t has been quite a hit and
we believe has been one of the drawing
cards of the fair
GREAT Loss OF WuEAT,--Thc farmer
who had large quantity of wheat, some in
his barn, and some stacked out lost the whole
crop by fire. He says that he does not know
whether the fire was caused by lightning,
children playing with matches, spark from
| pipe, or locomotive, or whether it was
the work of an incendiary. But he says he
does know now that if he had paid few
dollars for policy IN the Royal Insurance
Company, he would not have been about
| 81 500 out of pocket. But he will not be
| fooled in the same manner on his hay so he
came right TO Mechanicstown, and went to
see S. M Birely, Agent for the Royal, and
only paid $3.50 to insure all the hay, both
in the barn and stacked out, and the agent
told him that he could insure for any period
from day to five years.
SOLAR CALoRIC.-A heated term began on
Thursday last and since that time swetcr-
ing humanity has experienced the extreme
of heat usually reached in this latitude AT
no time between the hours Of 10 a. III. and
p. m has the thermometer registered less
than 80 degrees, while on Thursday at 1880
p. NJ it reached 90; this was duplicated on
! Friday, while on Saturday 103 degrees were
fairly registered; on Sunday % was the cX-
| IRENE reached.
On Sunday night at u o'clock the "cool
wave arrived, but it was in every sense a
| failure, it had been advertised to arrive, and
cold Indications" came out on top in his
suggestion TO the effect that by the time of
its arrival here the fall in temperature might
not be so decided it was not decided by any
means, yet it rendered the promise Of a
nights rest worth accepting.
On Monday, for one halfhour from 1,30 to
Up. M, the thermometer reached 106, the
hottest ever known here. On Monday night
a good rain fell.
Thus far no one in this vicinity has been
overcome by the heat, but the lists in the
cities arc of the usual length.
We have not yet been able to claim a
drought in this locality, yet at no time since
the opening Of summer has there been an
abundant rainfall occasional showers have
kept the corn crop from burning, yet a COM
p,ctc absence of rain for more than q week
now, the heat continuing, and the corn
would be endangered.